rescue911fandomcom-20200213-history
Car Stripper
Location: Prospect Park, Pennsylvania Date: July 27th, 1989 Story On July 27th, 1989 about 9:30pm, a gas station attendant called 911 and told the dispatcher that two white men with mustaches and wearing white shirts were trying to steal a car in the parking lot. Officers Ed Kienzle and Paul Stolz were closer to the scene. Officer Kienzle arrived first, saw the two men fixing a black car, and thought they were having car trouble. But then they saw him and started walking away. He immediately knew that they were criminals when they ignored his orders to stop. Then Officer Stolz arrived. Officer Kienzle caught one of the suspects, but the other one, 29-year-old Stephen Troy Irrgang, started running with Officer Stolz chasing him on foot into the woods. While Officer Kienzle was arresting the first suspect, Officer Bill Nichols, who lived next to the gas station, also arrived. His wife, Julie, and their son, Bill Jr., saw his squad car and others at the gas station, so they went over there to see what was going on. Officers Kienzle and Nichols put the first suspect in the car. Meanwhile, Officer Stolz was still chasing Irrgang. He kept telling him to stop, but he kept on going. Officer Nichols drove near the woods and told another officer to watch the first suspect in his car. He went into the woods and heard that Officer Stolz was in trouble and needed help. While running, Irrgang had fallen; Officer Stolz caught him, and was wrestling him trying to arrest him. But he was very strong and Officer Stolz was yelling for Officer Nichols to help him. While Officer Kienzle was questioning the gas station attendant about the suspects, a woman came and told him that there was a big fight in the woods near the houses. Officer Stolz was nervous while arresting Irrgang because it was dark. Then Officer Nichols came over and tried to help him. Meanwhile, Officer Harold Snyder also arrived and went into the woods after he heard a commotion. Officers Stolz and Nichols were still having trouble arresting Irrgang, who kept getting stronger by the minute. Officer Kienzle came over and tried to help, but Irrgang grabbed Nichols' gun and shot him. He yelled, "I'm hit; he shot me and he's got my gun!" Meanwhile, Officer Kienzle was trying to get the gun away from Irrgang, who still had his thumb on the trigger; so Officer Kienzle put his in there to stop him from firing it and pulled the trigger six times. As he did, Officer Snyder and another officer showed up. Officer Stolz told Officer Snyder that Officer Nichols had gotten shot and to call for a ambulance. The officers were seeing that because Irrgang was so strong, he had to have done drugs before. Officer Snyder took the gun away from Officer Kienzle and Irrgang; then he and the other officer tried to stop Officer Nichols' bleeding with a beach towel he had found. Officers Stolz and Kienzle were still arresting Irrgang when Paramedic Michelle Otabiano arrived and took care of Officer Nichols. Paramedic Mike Ackenroad also showed up and was shocked to learn that it was his best friend that was shot. Officer Kienzle left the scene so he could tell Julie what had happened. When Officer Snyder saw the ambulance leave, he was thinking that he and the other officers would be at a police funeral in a few days, Officer Kienzle got to Julie and told her that Officer Nichols got shot and it didn't look good. He gave her and Bill Jr. hugs and said to keep Officer Nichols in their prayers. Amazingly, Officer Nichols made a full recovery. Irrgang was convicted of aggravated assault, and sentenced to 8 1/2 to 17 years in prison. Officer Nichols said that if Officer Kienzle didn't put his thumb behind the trigger, he could've been shot again, Officers Kienzle and Stolz could've also been shot, and Irrgang would have escaped. Category:1989 Category:Pennsylvania Category:Crimes Category:Shootings